Down big, rattled early by a bizarre delay and trailing deep into the night, the Houston Rockets saved their best basketball for last and rode Alperen Şengün’s all-around brilliance and Reed Sheppard’s fourth-quarter spark to a 111-106 comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.
Şengün anchored the rally with 20 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, flirting with a triple-double as Houston erased a 16-point deficit and secured its third straight victory.
The Rockets trailed by 10 entering the fourth quarter, then flipped the game with pace, pressure and timely shot-making.
Sheppard, coming off the bench, delivered the knockout stretch. He scored 12 of his 21 points in the final period, igniting Houston’s surge and swinging momentum with plays on both ends.
His block on Julian Champagnie’s 3-point attempt with about two minutes left set up Jabari Smith Jr.’s go-ahead fadeaway, pushing the Rockets ahead 106-104 in a game that had been locked in a late stalemate.
Şengün followed with a crucial basket inside with roughly 30 seconds remaining, extending the lead to four. After Stephon Castle misfired from deep, Sheppard calmly sealed the outcome at the line.
The comeback capped a chaotic night that began with a 22-minute tipoff delay after a rim was bent during warmups and had to be replaced, an odd prelude to a game defined by wild swings.
San Antonio looked in control early, torching the net from long range and building a 39-28 first-quarter lead behind Champagnie’s scorching start.
The Spurs hit eight of their first 13 3-point attempts and pushed the margin to 83-67 late in the third.
But the shooting dried up. After their hot opening, the Spurs missed 31 of their final 37 attempts from beyond the arc as Houston tightened defensively and leaned into a more physical approach.
Houston opened the fourth with nine straight points, slicing the deficit to one.
Sheppard later drilled a 3-pointer at the 4:45 mark to give the Rockets their first lead since the opening quarter, 99-98.
Smith followed with a reverse layup, a corner 3 and a clutch midrange jumper, finishing with 17 points.
Kevin Durant added 18 points and seven assists for Houston, while Amen Thompson chipped in 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as the Rockets finally sustained the run that had eluded them for three quarters.
Champagnie led San Antonio with 27 points and eight made 3-pointers, continuing his strong perimeter form after setting a franchise record with 11 triples against New York on Dec. 31.
Victor Wembanyama was held to 14 points on 5-of-21 shooting, missing all seven of his 3-point attempts, though he grabbed 10 rebounds. De’Aaron Fox also scored 14, while Castle posted 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
The Spurs visit Utah on Thursday. The Rockets head to Philadelphia the same night, carrying momentum built on resilience, defense, and a fourth-quarter finish that turned frustration into control.
